Reviews

The Martyr's Tomb by Marc Collins

lelcopter's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

mandragora's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

charlieglynn's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

manthespace's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

jackdoud's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

This feels like two books mashed together. It does nothing to advance the Indomitus Crusade plotline. There are an excessive number of plots and characters which mostly go nowhere. Multiple sentences describing a foe only for them to be cut down quickly to move on the to the next overly described item. You can practically tell Nick Kyme edited this book, it has all his hallmarks of bad writing. 

peachy_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

asukaya's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Well, this was a whole lot and it still felt like nothing really happened, which left me fighting through the last 2 hours of the audiobook, even though it was supposed to be the climax of the story.

The story is decent but suffers from trying to put too much plot into it. Which in turn leads to underdeveloped characters and half-finished, abandoned, or forgotten plot points. Leaving the story as just "Bolterporn".

The story is basically made of two arcs, the defense of the shrine world Velua against the Death Guard by the Adepta Sororita and the quest to find a new passage through the Citrix Maledictum to Imperium Nihilus. Both are connected through the Black Templars with their Champion Gaheris. 

I think this story would have worked a lot better if these two arcs were separated into individual stories. Putting them together left not enough room to follow through all the characters' POVs and emotional impacts were less effective. Since a lot of the characters and their relationships had some potential to be explored.

All in all, right now this book doesn't add anything significant to the lore of the Indomitus Crusade and can therefore be skipped if desired. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

Moderate: Gore and Torture

majorrawne's review

adventurous dark inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

nraptor's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0